Girl Born with Multiple Heart Defects Prompts Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuit

By Sarah Mirando | July 4, 2012

Category: Pharmaceuticals

By Sarah Pierce

Parents in Texas have filed a Zoloft birth defect lawsuit against Pfizer alleging the SSRI antidepressant caused multiple birth defects in their daughter. With the help of their Zoloft lawyer, the parents claim Pfizer knew the risk of Zoloft birth defects, but failed to adequately warn doctors and consumers, resulting in multiple reports of Zoloft birth defects such as heart defects, limb abnormalities and others.

The new Zoloft birth defect lawsuit was filed in Texas federal court on June 14, 2012 by parents Nathan and Holly Rorick. The Roricks allege their daughter, Abigail, was born with multiple heart defects as a result of Holly using the SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy. Abigail was diagnosed with hypoplastic right ventricle, right coronary ostial atresia, pulmonary atresia, patent ductus arteriosus, and right ventricle to coronary artery fistula. Holly asserts in the Zoloft birth defect lawsuit that she specifically asked her prescribing doctor about the risk of SSRI antidepressant birth defects, but that her physician assured her that using Zoloft during pregnancy was safe. The Zoloft lawsuit alleges Pfizer was aware at that time that using SSRI antidepressants like Zoloft could lead to a variety of birth defects, but did not make those facts available to the general public. The Roricks specifically allege in the Zoloft birth defect lawsuit that Pfizer provided “inaccurate, misleading, materially incomplete, false and otherwise inadequate information” to health care professionals and consumers.

Zoloft Birth Defect Lawsuits Continue to Grow

Zoloft birth defect symptoms like Abigail’s are, unfortunately, shared by many children across the country. As a result, more and more parents like the Roricks are suing Pfizer alleging that its SSRI antidepressant caused their children to suffer Zoloft birth defects. Parents are also suing GlaxoSmithKline (maker of the SSRI antidepressant Paxil) and other SSRI antidepressant drug makers for failing to warn about the risk of birth defects from taking the drugs during pregnancy.

Zoloft and Paxil birth defect lawsuits allege SSRI antidepressant medications can cause Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN), Atrial Septal Defects (ASD), ventricular septal defects (VSD), abdominal birth defects (omphalocele), cranial birth defects (craniosynotosis), aorta coarctation, hypoplastic right or left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), tetralogy of fallot (TOF), spina bifida, club feet and other congenital birth defects. Zoloft and Paxil birth defect class action lawsuits commonly state that almost all mothers of children with SSRI prescription medication related birth defects took the antidepressant exactly as prescribed by their doctors and did not know that Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and other SSRI antidepressant drug makers knew their drugs can cause birth defects.

Parents of children with birth defects should always speak with a birth defect law firm. Only a lawyer who works Zoloft, Paxil or other SSRI antidepressant birth defect cases can determine if you have a case that is worth pursuing. With the help of their Zoloft lawyer, Abigail’s parents are seeking more than $150,000 in damages. Abigail has already undergone corrective surgery for some of her defects, and will require additional surgery in the future. The family’s Zoloft attorney is asserting that the entire family endured medical expenses, pain and suffering, psychological injury and emotional distress.

Heart defects and congenital birth defects caused by Zoloft require lifelong monitoring, multiple surgeries and many other financial and emotional burdens on the families involved. Zoloft birth defect lawsuits often include references to a study that Pfizer performed which showed that Zoloft could cause birth defects in animals, but didn’t warn patients taking the drug of their findings. Pfizer conducted animal trials which unequivocally found that Zoloft caused severe side effects in animal fetuses. The Rorick’s Zoloft birth defect lawsuit states that even though Pfizer knew of the risk of birth defects Pfizer did not warn doctors and their patients of the risk of taking Zoloft, or any other SSRI antidepressant like Paxil, while pregnant.

In some cases certain families have opted to file a Zoloft birth defect class action lawsuit. But filing a Zoloft class action lawsuit may not be in your best interest. It’s important that parents of children with Zoloft birth defects speak with a qualified Zoloft attorney to determine their best course of action. This may be filing an individual birth defect lawsuit against Pfizer. If your baby was born with a birth defect and you were taking Zoloft, Paxil, another antidepressant medication or some other prescription medication, you should speak with an experienced birth defect attorney to determine if filing a Zoloft birth defect class action lawsuit is best for you.

If you would like more information about filing a Zoloft birth defect class action lawsuit, would like to know if you have a Zoloft congenital birth defect lawsuit case, would like to contact a Zoloft birth defect attorney, or would like to file an individual Zoloft birth defect lawsuit just go to the Zoloft Birth Defect Class Action Lawsuit Investigation page. You can submit your information to lawyers who specialize in Zoloft related birth defect lawsuits, and other SSRI antidepressant drug birth defect lawsuits, that are actively investigating all claims regarding birth defects like Craniosynostosis, Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN), Atrial Septal Defects (ASD), ventricular septal defects (VSD), abdominal birth defects (omphalocele), cranial birth defects (craniosynotosis), aorta coarctation, hypoplastic right or left heart syndrome, transposition of the great arteries (TGA), tetralogy of fallot (TOF), spina bifida, Autism, club feet and other problems which may be attributed to Zoloft, Paxil or another anti-depressant (SSRI) drug taken while pregnant. It is the drug manufacturer’s responsibility to warn users of their prescription medications of the possibility of severe heart and birth defects. If you were not warned of the risk of birth defects an attorney may be able to help. Contact a Zoloft birth defect attorney now.

Updated July 4th, 2012

{loadposition content_postads}

All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.

LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement

Various Trademarks held by their respective owners